Nigeria scotches coronavirus rumours in Lagos

A suspected case of coronavirus in Nigeria has tested negative, according to the authorities in the country's main city of Lagos.

The Chinese citizen, who arrived in the country seven weeks ago, went to a hospital in Lagos earlier this week with a fever, raising concerns.

Lagos State’s health ministry released the news on Twitter after rumours of a potential coronavirus case started spreading online.

The statement urged Nigerians not to spread unverified news about the disease and emphasised the city's readiness for a potential outbreak.

This is the 11th suspected coronavirus case in Nigeria to come back negative.

Earlier this week, Algeria became the second country on the continent to confirm a coronavirus case, after an Italian man tested positive.

Covid-19, the respiratory disease caused by the virus, has killed more than 2,700 people. Most of the deaths have been in China, where the virus originated in December.

Globally, more than 80,000 people in more than 40 countries have now been infected.